Refrigerating apparatus for soda fountains and the like



March 1, 1932. F G. S|MP5ON 1,847,788

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR SODA FOUNTAINS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 6, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

\/ v' FFEnRELEmPEm-L March 1, 1932. F. G SlMPSON 1,847,788

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR SODA FOUNTAINS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 6, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /I/l ff Fue.. a.

////////////////////f \\w f rank E. Elin-1F '5cl-n s INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

March l, 1932. F. G. slMPsoN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR SODA FOUNTAINS AND THE LIKE Filed Jam` 6, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 y .sz

INVENTQR. Frank E 51m-Faun I 7% ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRANK a. SIMPSON, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORv rro-I. PISCHMAN Y & SONS, OP PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA ILEPRIGERATING APPARATUS Fon SODA FoUN'rAINs AND THE LIKE Application med January 6, 1936. serial No. 418,821.

This invention relates to improvements kin refrigerating systems andapparatus. The primary object of this invention isthe provision of improved cooling means adapted to be used in soda fountains or like apparatus, for the efiicient and inexpensive cooling of the various sections of the fountain, such as the ice-cream Section, cold storage and liquid cooler section, and syrup and crushed fruit section, bymeans of a single operating medium which will direct the refrigerant in an improved and effective cycle with respect to the various cooling units of said sections.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved cooling unit for use in soda Vfountains along the jar rack, for' the purpose of maintaining Syrups, crushed fruits, and like edible materials at a sufficiently low temperature to prevent the deterioration thereof. s y

A further object of this invention is the provision of improved cooling `apparatus compactly and efficiently located in the jar rack section of a soda fountain, in one or more parts interconnected in Series with the refrigerant cycle ofV a cooling system, by means of which syrups and crushed fruits may be cooled according to the temperature which will most efficiently maintain the same for immediate dispensing andserving purposes. Y

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout. the' several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a soda fountairnshowing somewhat diagrammatically the relation of parts and sections thereof, and the cooperative association of the cooling units of a cooling system and apparatus. i f- Figures 2 and?) are sectional views taken substantially on ltheir respective lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, through the ar rack section of the soda fountain, showing an improved cooling unit in relation thereto.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of an improved jar rack cooling unit for soda fountains, showing the same partially in section.

Figure 5 is a view showing more particularly, in plan, the cooling unit of Figure 4 and the means for supporting the same. Figure 6 is an end view, at the'filling end,

:of the brine tank and cooling unit of Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 is a modified View of a refrigerating system and apparatus, Shown somewhat diagrammatically, wherein a different refrigerant is used than that used in the apparatus in Figure 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred and modified forms of the invention, the letter A may generally designate a so'da fountain, wherein the refrigerating apparatus B of Figure` 1 maybe installed, or the refrigerat'ing apparatus C of Figure 7.'

The soda fountain A may be of any approved type, and in the preferred instance may linclude af top wall structure 10, supported upon end and side upright walls 11; a bottom wall 12 of course being provided. Interiorly, the soda fountain Amay he subdivided by any approved arrangement of rela-v tively insulated or inter-connected partition means to provide `a cold storage section`13; ice-cream section 14; and jar racksection 15.

The cold storage compartment 13 may have therein a liquid cooling compartment 17, separated from the cold storage compartment 13V by a suitable partition 18 it being understood that Vthe cold storage compartment 13 is adapted to receive bottle goods, foodstuffs, or the'like, where they will be maintained at a low temperature, and that the liquid cooling compartment 17 receives V.a Suitable liquid wherein the Vsoda water and drinkingl water receptacles,tubes or cylinders are maintained. Of course, the partition 18 is conductive in nature, so that there may be an interchange of temperatures between the compartments 13 and 17, as is Well understood in this art.

In most soda fountains the draft arms 20 are symmetrically loc-ated about midway of the ends of the fountain, or so located that the jar section is subdivided at opposite side-sv thereof. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, the jar rack section is subdivided at opposite sides of the arms 2O -into jar rack compartments 15a and 15", wherein the syrup Vand crushed fruit receiving jars 21 and 22 are received'in an easily accessible and detachable relation, much in the same manner as shown vin Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. These jars, Which are preferably of porcelain, or some other material Which may readily conduct heat from the body of the edible therein to:

the cooling unit in the respective jar rack compartment, are located on axes at acute angles to the vertical, and therebehind there is ordinarily a space in the compartment, which is rather triangular in cross section, and Whereimfor the compartments 15CL and 15b, improved cooling units 26 and 27 are provided; the same being part of the system B, as will more readily appear hereinafter.

Referring to the cooling systemB, the same includes 'a compressor 30, drivenby a suitable electric motor 31 Which is automatically controlled by means of a pressure operated switch 32. The motor driven compressor unit is preferably the type used in the Frigidaire system, made by the Delco Light Company, although for the purposes of this invention it may be of any approved type embodying the operative principle othis invention. In the cooler compartment 17 is located a cooling unit 33 consisting of a container 34 adapted to receive the refrigerating medium, and to which is connected a suitable coil or tube arrangement'. 35 extending into the liquid, for cooling the latter. The unit 33 includes an automatically controlled needle valve 35a, for admitting the re'frigerantto the tank 34; the same preferablybeing float controlled, and the unit 33 preferably being of the float'expanslon valve type, used in the Frigidaire system, and more particularly shown and described on pages 121, 122 and 123 of the 1928 edition of Refrigeration, by Moyer and Fittz, published by McGraW Hill Book Company, New York City. The compressor 30 has .thedis charge or high pressure line 40 leading therefrom, and connected at 41 with the cooling unit 33, for the purpose of admitting refrigerant to the expansion valve 35a. The compressor 3() furthermore has the low pressure or suction and inlet line 42 connected therewith, and of course connected With the discharge of the cooling unit 33, at 43. The suction line 42 is preferably of greater' effective cross section than the pressure line 40.

refrigerant.

TheV automatically operated switch 32 for controlling the motor 31 is of the low pressure operated type, having a conduit connection at 45 With the suction line 42 leading to the compressor. This type of automatic switch closes the circuit through the motor 31 When the pressure in the suction line 42 exceeds a predetermined pressure, and opens the circuit of the motor 31 when the pressure in line 42 is below the predetermined pressure; the switch being more particularly described on pages 123 and 124 of thepublication Refrigeration, above mentioned.

The cooling units 26 and 27 are identical in structure, differing merely from each other in the manner in' Which they are interposed in the system B. In some cases merely a single cooler' unit Will be used in the jar rack section o f the fountain, as can readily be understood by those skilled in the art. These units 26 and 27 each includes a tank 50, which may be of'any approved material. The tanks are triangular in cross section, including horizontal top Walls 51; vertical front Walls 52, and a sloping Wall 53 adapted to parallel in spaced relation along the front edges of the jars 21. The tanks 50 are provided with preferably cast metal end Walls 54 and 5o; the former being the `filler and inspection end Walls and the latter the Walls Vsupporting the inlet and outlet connections 57 and 58 of the cooling coils or pipingv 59 Within the tank. The coil arrangement 59 ispreferably `of cop per tubing, and in nature and length may vary according to the characteristics o'f the In the preferred instance the coil 59 extends from theconnection 57 in a straight length 60, longitudinally of the chamber in the tank, being bent at 61 near the Wall 54 and extending in a return length 62 towards the lopposite Wall Where it connects With 'a spiral coil 63 eXtendin-g'longitudinally inthe compartment; the convolutions ofthe coil 63 conforming to the speciiic crosssection of the-compartment in the tank, as shown in Figure 3, so that the'coil may lie relativ-ely close butin spaced relation to the Walls 52 and 53. The coil 63 extends the major. length of the tank 50, terminating adjacent the end 61 in the tubing, above' described, and the opposite end of the coil at 65 extends in a straight return length to the other connection 58 on the Wall 55, as shown in Figure 4. f y

p The cooling units 26 and 27 are so suspended in their respective compartments 15a'and 15'), Vthat there Will be complete circulation of air thereabout exterior' of the Walls51, 52 and To this end, the end Walls 54 and 55 are'preferablyvprovided With supporting lugs and 71 respectively, immediately adjacent to the upper portions of theV Wall 52, yand extending in an offset relation with respect to the outer surface of the Wall 52, as shown in I igure v5. Suitable supportin-gstraps 73 are provided for the support ofthe tanks 50, being -soldered or otherwise connected to the metal lining 75a of the jar rack section; or otherwise connected therewith, eachproviding a socket 76, shown in Figurel 5into which the lug or Supporting ear '7l of each tank 50 may be received. The other lug or ear 70 is provided with a transverse opening therethrough, ada-pted to receive a bolt or screw 1 77which vmay be adjusted into a suitable threaded opening provided in a nut or other pait 78secured to the inside of the lining 75a, as shown in Figure 5. Due to the forward offset of the ears 7 0 and 71, beyond the plane of the outer surface ofthe wall 52, it can readily be understood from Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings that the walls 52 o'f the tank will be spaced from the adjacent lining of the compartment in which the cooling units are positioned, and the other Walls ofthe tanks 50 will likewise be spaced from adjacent parts within the jar rack compartment, to enable a complete circulation of air thereabout. y

ln further reference to the refrigerating systemv B, the cooling unit 26 has a feed line connection 8O at 81 with the discharge line 40 leadingfroni theJompressor, at a. location between thefcompressor and the cooling unit 33 above mentioned. This line 80has a connection at 57 withthe coil arrangement of the unit 26. Interposed in thefeed line S inimediately adjacent the unit 26 is an automatically operated typel of expansionvalve 82, preferably ofthe American Radiator Company type' 662-S, M or E, depending upon whether the refrgerating medium is sulphur dioxide, methyl chloride, or ethyl chloride. i I The cooling units 26' and 27 are connected in series, so far as the cycle flowof refrigerant is concerned, and to this end the cou-` pling 58 of the cooling unit 26 isconnected with the coupling S of the coil of the cooling unit 27, by means of copper' tubing 85, to permit the flow of refrigerant from the coil arrangement 59 of the unit 26 tothe coil ar-V rangement 59 of the unit- 27 in the `relation shown iii Figure l. The coil connection l57 of the unit 27 is attached to a return line 8 8 which has Va connection at 89 with the sec.- tion or low pressure return line 42 leading to the compressor. o f n i AVarious commercial refrigerants may be used, but sulphur dioxide is preferred.. It is forced in its'liqiud state from the compressor, through the discharge line 40 and enters the various cooling units, being expanded therein through thevalves provided. In the type ofcoolingunit 33 the float operated valve serves'thel dualpurpose of maintaining pressure on the liquidsulphur diox-` ide iii the sump, soY as. to retain lit in liquid phase, andalso permits some of the liquid sulphur dioxide to-flow into thetank 34 to the jar rack cooling units, and of course the liquid refrigerant enters the line 80, and is expanded through the expansion valve 82 into the coil 59 of the unit 26. This expansion valve 82 separates the high pressure or liquid side of thesystem, from the low pressure or. suction side where the refrigerant ismostlyin the vapor phase. This valve 82 automatically regulates the pressure, `and also allows the liquid gas to be sprayed through a small orice, in the vapor phase, into the coil 59, as will be well understood by anyone skilled in this art. The vaporized gas circulatesthrougli the helical coil 59 of the unitY 26, and passes through the connecting-line 85 into the coil 59l of the unit 27. These coils 59 in their respective tanks are complete-ly submerged in a .brine or alcoholic solution. The expanding gases, heat-laden, pass into the outlet line 88 and return through the line. 42 to the compressor where they are suitably converted into liquid sulphurdiox-v .2

ide and recirculated throughk the system according to the cycle mentioned. The vaporizing of the refrigerant within the coils 59 absorbs the heat units from the brine or alcoholic solution, which in a .heat exchange relation iswa'rmed from the Syrups, crushed fruits, and warm air entering the jar rack compartments. When the proper temperature is reached'in the jar rack chambers, conditionsotherwise being-suitable, the automatic cut-out switch 32 will function to shut oli' the compressor, or the automatic` expansion valve 82 will function to preventthe vaporization of the refrigerant inthe coils. Since the brine or alcoholic solution in the tanks of the cooling units 26 and 27.has been cooled, the'same acts as a hold-over in prolonging tlie intervals `during which the compressor is operating to re-cycle the/refrigerant. Of course the brine or alcoholic solution does not-leave the tank, and due to the shape of the tank -a large surface area is presented directly to the jars in the jar rack compartments `for assisting in ehciently maintaining the foodstus at a proper low temperature. n

In the relationv in which the cooling units 26 and 27 are positioned in the system, it is appreciated that thek temperature in the compartment l5a will be somewhat lower than the temperature in the compartment 15", due to the fact that the coolingtunit 27 receives the refrigerant after its passage through the unit 26. Difference in temperatures between the compartments laand l5b will approxiniate3" F. although this willvary more or less, depending uponthe conditions existing after the soda fountain has been installed and in service. vIt isof considerable advantage to place in rear of the coolingunitthose jars of the rack confronting the compartment15?, which receive syrups and kcrushed fr ulitsv which require lowest temperatures. There 'are'occasions when the lower temperatures will tend to thicken some Syrups and crushed fruits, so that it is harder to dispense them, and under such circumstances those fruitsan'd syrups will be placed in the jar rack. confronting the compartment 15b and the coolin-gunit 27 therein. Thus, as an eX- ample, Coca-Cola andV most crushed fruits should' be kept very cold Aand arranged in close proximity to the cooling unit`26, confronting the' compartment 15a. On the other f hand chocolate syrup and some of the other flavors and crushed fruits may be placed in front of the unit 27.

It is of course understood that the cooling unfit for theice-cream section may be suitably connected in the compressor lines 40 and 42, in any relation desired and found most suitable. 1

`vInstead o'f disposing the cooling units of the compartments 17 and 15 in parallelism, as shown inthe system of Figure 1, they may be located in series in the system of cycling the refrigerant.V Thus, as shown in Figure 7, thev system C uses methyl chloride as a refrigerant'. In Ythis system, due to the use of the specifically mentioned refrigerant,`

there is not needed a cooling coil of as many feet in the jar rack cooling unit as for the use of a refrigerant, 'such as sulphur dioxide.

l ln this system, a motor operated compressor 30 directs the liquid methyl chloride through thel liquid discharge line 40a, and through an expansion valve 82a into a single horizontally.positionedU-loop 59:L located in a brine or alcohol filled tank a of a cooling unit adapted to be located in the jar rack compartment of a soda fountain. The low pressure, suction or compressor return line 91 leading' from the unit 90, is provided with a suitable coil 92 therein located in the cold storage compartment or submerged in the cooler compartment, for the cooling of bottled goods, soda'water, plain water, or the like. The temperatures in the compartment wherein thelcoil 92 is located are not required to be so low as the temperatures in the compartment wherein the unit 50iL is installed. Otherwise the system C is the saine as that above described for the system B, as to opl eration and cycle. It is to be noted that the units 50a and 92, in the system C,v arein series. The refrigerant passesthronghthe 'coil 92 in asaturated vapor. The coils 59a and 92 lare so proportioned, asv to exposed' surface area, Vthat there isa greater expo-sed surface upon the coil 92, so that the temperatureof the sweet water in the compartment wherein thei'coil '92 is located will be justY above freezing. This will givea temperature in the cold storage compartment of about 40 fir-545 l". while the syrups and crushed fruits adjacent or 'along the unit 90 will be maintained at 'a temperature of approximately 45 or 50 F. l

The brine or alcohol solution is poured into the various tanks 50 or 5C)a of the cooling units above described from the end walls 54;, wherein suitable filler openings 95 are provided, whereon suitable caps 96 are detachably mounted and maintained in leak* proof connection against suitable ring washers 97 of any approved character. This provides an effective seal. The tank of the cooling units 26, 27 or 90 may be stood up onl end to permit the complete filling.

The aperture is located in substantial alignment with the coil or tubing 59 of the cooling unit tank, for the purpose of detecting `leaks in the coils or tubes within the tank, wherein the refrigerant Hows.V If Asuspicion is directed to the coil or loop in the tank, an inspection may be readily made. lf the refrigerant is sulphur dioxide, a suit-y able rod having a swab of cotton saturated in ammonia may be lowered through the filler opening into the tank, and with the aid of a suitable inspection light the leak in the coilV 59 may be located, since a reaction between the ammonia and sulphur dioxide will take place, resulting in fuming at the leak in the coil. v

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be mad-e to the forms of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

l claim:

1. In a soda fountainstructure of the class described a cabinet having a compartment therein, a plurality of syrup and fruit dispensingcreceptacles carried in line by the cabinet and `extending into said compartment, and a cooling unit in the upper portion of the compartment paralleling the containers therein in immediate adjacent side by side relation'therewith.

2. In a soda fountain thev combination of a jar rack section having a horizontally elongated jar receiving compartment therein, means for receiving jars in the compartment so that the compartmentat the upper poi'- tion thereof to the rear of the jars is unobstructed longitudinally of the section, a brine tank in said upper portion of the compa-itment rearwardly of the jars, and refrigerating apparatus for cooling the brine of said tank. l y

3Q In a soda fountain the combination of a draft section Ahavingv jar rack sections at opposite sides thereof in line, independent brine tanks'for the jai' racksections terminating at their ends facing the draft secposite sides thereof in line, independent brine tanks for the jar rack sections terminating at their ends facing `the draft section, a single cooling apparatus for cooling the brine in both of said brine tanks including spiral cooling coils in each of said tanks, a connection between said cooling coils eX- tending across the draft section, means for passing refrigerant first through one coil across said draft section and then through the other coil, and means for receiving the refrigerant as it leaves the last mentioned coil.

FRANK G. SIMPSON. 

